“Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 1 Kings 17:9b
As we continue studying Elijah as he lived his life in his ‘anywhere but here’ land, he must have felt some encouragement as God unfolded the manner for which Elijah would gain nourishment. But his encouragement could have possibly been met with irritation and awkwardness when he discovered how the plan would unfold. God was going to keep His promise of provision but it was through a poor and starving widow. In his day, ‘a widow had no identity, sense of belonging, or security. A widow truly existed on the fringes of society…and God had called Elijah to make a connection with a person who was thought to be nothing. Insignificant. Of little to no value.’ Elijah – Faith and Fire, Priscilla Shirer, p. 94. Being human, I’ll just bet there was a part of him that secretly felt uncomfortable and a little irritated to discover from whom he would receive his provision. He was existing in an ‘anywhere but here’ life and now he was to ask for food from an ‘anybody but her’ widow.
How do I know he may have felt uncomfortable, frustrated, and a little put out? Because I had one of these moments back in 2017. It had been a rough month, one that I pray will never be repeated. I was worn out emotionally, spiritually and physically. I was at the coast taking my morning walk and ended up where I normally sit and pray. It was a bench on the second level at the end of the pier overlooking the ocean. This day in particular, I was on the bench, singing my worship music and opened my eyes to find a homeless man sitting on the ground a little to my right. He began talking to me and eventually asked if he could pray for me. I’m embarrassed to admit that I felt uncomfortable…untrusting…undone. I quickly asked the Lord to give me grace and peace and stood up to accept his offer. As if that wasn’t enough awkwardness he asked if he could hold my hand during the prayer, but quickly gave me an out if I didn’t feel comfortable. I also accepted his gesture and he began to pray. The prayer that he lifted had such detail that perfectly applied to my circumstances. I knew that what he was giving me was directly from God. He continued in this prayer with one of the most beautiful prayers I had ever heard. The peace that fell over me and stayed with me that day was God’s gift through this homeless man. He had nothing to give yet he gave me everything that day. I read a while back that ‘A little gift in the hands of a big God can impact the world’ (Lysa TerKeurst). On that day, he gave what he probably thought was just a little gift…a prayer. But when he chose to bring God into the equation my entire world was impacted…I was lifted higher than my circumstances…it was a day that was enveloped in peace…it’s a day that I still experience awe and astonishment when I think upon it.
I began praying for that man over the course of weeks that followed. When God connects us with others to fulfill one of our needs, they also become a recipient of a blessing through the interaction. He didn’t ask for my prayers and had nothing to gain from his prayer for me. But at that moment where my station in life intersected his, we stood as equals in the eyes of God. I’ll never forget the provision God gave me that day and every time I think of that prayer, I pray for him. I walked away with a humbled and grateful heart with revelations I can never forget.
If we all take just a little time to do for each other, God will show up and show up big. He doesn't need us to enhance His power, but He does choose to involve us to be a part of His glory. And when we partner with Him everyone wins! We may never know the impact our little gift will have on others but God sees every act of kindness on our part. That man will never know how I emotionally lived on the fringe of society in 2017, but incredible and remarkable comfort was given to me by his presence. He was my barefoot ‘nobody but him’ angel in the most unlikely of circumstances.
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